Gas turbine power plant with axial flow compressor



GAS TURBINE POWER PLANT WITH AXIALvFLQW COMPRESSOR "L 1r z Ll *n Q Inventor:

A Ilan Howard,

n v b Qq y His Attorney.

April 17, 1951 A. HOWARD 2,548,886

GAS TURBINE POWER PLANT WITH AXIM. FLowcomPREssoR Filed Oct. 25. 1947 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Iriventor Alan Howard,

'mf/41M His .Attorney A. HOWARD 2,548,886

COMPRESSOR pri E?, i951 GAS TURBINE POWER PLANT wrm AXIAL @uw 4 sheets-'sheet s Filed 001;. 25. 1947 flf@ m www mo. www.

i Aw

His Aitor-neg.

pril 17, 1951 GAS TURBINE Po Patented Apr. 17, 1951 GAS TURBINE POWER PLANT WIVTH AXIAL FLOW COMPRESSOR Alan Howard, Schenectady, N. Y., assigner rto General Electric Company, a corporationv oi New York Application october 25, 1947,'seri'a1No. 782,171

This invention relates to internal combustion turbine powerplants of the type comprising an air compressor supplying air under pressure to a combustion chamber cr fcombustor in which fuel is burned and from which the products of combustion, hereinafter called hot gases, are supplied to a turbine wheeL- the turbine wheel driving the air compressor and the excess energy in the hot gases over that required to drive the air f compressor being used to generate power. A gas turbine powerplant embodying my invention is well adapted for use in aircraft for propelling them, and it is this application of my invention which I have elected specifically to illustrate and describe. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited necessarily to this use and also that certain features of the invention, while especially applicable to gas turbine powerplants, will find other applications.

The present application is a continuation-inpart of Serial No. 541,565, filed June 22, 1944, and this application relates particularly to the arrangement of the axial flow compressor employed.

In applying my powerplant to an aircraft, I may extract in the turbine wheel only sufcient energy from the gases to run the air compressor and certain auxiliaries appurtenant to the powerplant, such as a fuel pump, lubrication pump, generator, hydraulic regulator, etc., the remainstantially all `the energy may be utilizedv in the i turbine wheel and the power thus extractedused to drive aconventional air-screw or other load device. v.

An object ofthe invention is to provide an improved axial flow compressor for a powerplant of the type describedwhich is light, easy to manufacture and disassemble for inspectionfcleaning, and other servicing, yet has the strength and life expectancy desired in high performance aircraft powerplants.

Another object is to provide an axial flow compressor rotor of the disk type having the improved critical speed characteristics ordinarily obtained only with the drum type rotor.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view,'partly in section, of the compressor of a gas turbine powerplant and Fig-2 is a view partly in section of the combustion and turbine section of the powerplant, Figs. land 2 when placed end to end forming a continuous section through the powerplant; Fig, 3

5 Claims. (Cl. 2341-132) is a transverse'sectional view taken on the plane 3- 3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a detail sectional 'view on a larger scaley taken on the irregular plane 4-4 in Fig. 2; Fig'. 5 is a detail sectionalview on a larger scale showing a flexible arrangement for connecting together certain parts of the combustor structure; Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view toan enlarged scale of adjacent compressor disks;

Fig. '7 is a sectional View taken on the plane 'I`--'I in Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view on' a still larger scale of a partof the compressor construction shown in Figs. 6 and '7; and Figs."9"and l0 are simplified schematic views illustrating one feature of construction of the compressor rotor.

Referring first to Fig. 1, I indicates the compressor stator casing which is split axially, the two halves being bolted together by flanges with threaded fastenings as indicated at 2. Air is supplied to the inlet end of the compressor through an annular passage 3 across which are three or more tubular streamlined struts. 4. Aheadfof strutsv4 are hollow sheet-metal fairings 4a, which serve to streamline the struts 4 and through which pass certain oil and electrical conduits (not shown). Air yfrom the compressor is supplied'to a plurality of circumferentially spaced combustion chambers or combustors 5 (Fig. 2)v which generate hot gases for a turbine wheel located in anl aft framecasing 6, whichmay be vsplit axially and .bolted together or it .may be Vformed as an integrallcylinder, as shownin Fig. 2. Bolt'ed to the rear side 0f ycasing 6 is an exhaust: cone assembly, the outer wall of which'is indicated at 8.

The axial flo'w compressor rotor is of, thefs called disk-type,andfcomprises ashaft |53, a last stage disk I 4, which may betermed a' driving diskand which is preferably formed Yof ya suitable alloy steel, and a plurality of disks I 5 in advance of the last stage wheel, which may also be formed from steel to withstand the high temperatures of the compressed fluid. The disks I5a adjacent the inlet end may be fabricated. of magnesium. aluminum, or other Ysuitable light metal. The disks I5, I5a, |517 are shrunk onto the shaft, the first stage disk I5b being positioned by a collar I 3a on the shaft. It is togbe noted that these disks are not keyed to the shaft, the only connection with the shaft being the aforesaid shrink t. The driving disk I4 is shrunk in placevon the shaft and is also fastened by a splineorplurality of keys I8. Thus disk I4 is fixed to the 'shaft with a positive driving connection. The hub of disk I4 is provided with an annular inwardly projecting flange I9 Which ts against a shoulder on the shaft. I3 and is held by a cylindrical nut Connecting each pair of adjacent shoulders are spacer rings 25 each of which has a shrink iit with the shoulders and on oneside is secured circumferentially by a plurality of spaced pins 25. Spacer rings 25 are of a shape, size, and material such that they are not self-supporting; so that at high speeds, of the order of 10,000 R. P. M'.

for a rotor about 24 inches in overall diameter,V

. temperature of the wheel, so that it expands more tightly against the inwardly. facing surface of shoulder 24. A. central spacer ring II is then assembled on the shaft. Next, the second stage disk is shrunk into position by heating, its shoulder 23 being brought into engagement with the other side of spacer ring 25, following which the pins 26 may be driven into suitable drilled holes. Now the successive spacer rings I1, 25 and wheels l5a, I5, may ybe positioned one after the other until nally the last stage wheel I4 is positioned on spline I8 and locked rmly by nut 2D. To further improve the frictional force between spacers 25 and the respective disk rims, a serrated stainless steel calking strip 25a may be peened into an annular groove in the disk rim, as may be seen in Fig. 8. With this arrangement, the rims of the several wheels are'rmly held together so that substantially the entire torque between adjacent disks is taken by the friction between the mating shoulders of the spacer rings and disks. Part of this lfriction comes from the shrink fit between the disks and spacers, part from the axial compression between the sides of the wheel rims and the edges of the spacer rings, part is due to the calking strips 25a, and a considerable portion from the increase in friction between the Wheel rims and the spacer rings at high speeds due to the above-mentioned expansion of the spacer rings by centrifugal force. Furthermore it is to be noted that the disks are so dimensioned that the aggregate axial distance between the hubs of the i'irst and last stage wheels, il e. the sum of the axial thicknesses of the disk hub portions and spacers I1, is slightly less than the corresponding dimensions for the disk rim portions and spacers 25, so that in the final assembled condition the disks take a dished shape, with the web portions deflected away from a radial plane. Then under the action of centrifugal forcethe disks tend to straighten so as to lie in exactly a radial plane, thus increasing the axial compression between the sides f the wheel rims and hence improving the torque-transmitting friction between these parts.

The feature described immediately above is illustrated in a simplified diagrammatic manner in Figs. 9 and 10. In order not to complicate the drawing unnecessarily, only ve compressor disks have been represented. In Fig. 9, the iive disks I4, I5, Ia, ld', I5?) are shown in the initial undistorted .position on shaft I3 with the respective spacer rings contacting the rim portions of the respective pairs of adjacent disks, while the hub spacer rings I'I form substantial clearances with the adjacent disk hubs. In this condition the web portions of the respective disks lie in parallel radial planes. If now the hub pory the axial thickness of the spacers I1, until the configuration shown in Fig. l0 is assumed. It will be apparent that axial compression of the hubs has resulted in the end disks assuming a somewhat conical or dished shape relative to the radial planes indicated by dotted lines in'Fig. 10, representing the original positionof the center lines of the respective disks. It will also be apparent that the middle disk I5a remains undistorted in a radial plane. In an actual case, as with the twelve-disk rotor shown in Fig. l, it would not necessarilybe expected that the disk at the middle of the 'stack be exactly radial. As a matter of fact, none of the disks may remain in exactly a radial plane, and the most nearly radial one may or may not be exactly at the middle of the stack, depending on the size and shape of the cross sections of the respective disks, the characteristics of the materials of which they are made, and many other factors in the mechanical design of the rotor. The important criterion is that some or all of the disks are pre-stressed to a somewhat dished configuration in the assembled position, with resulting increased stifiness of the rotor structure and increased axial compression between the rim portions and the edges of the respective spacers 25.

The distortion of the disk webs has been greatly exaggerated in Fig. l0 for purposes of clarity.

Actually, the total change in the center-to-center distance between the hub portions of the end disks may be only on the order of .06 inch in a rotor where the total distance between the end disks is ofthe order of 30 inches.

It will be seen that the structural requirement which must be met in order to obtain the abovedescribed effect is that the sum of the axialy thicknesses of the disk hub portions and associated spacers I'I, measured from the center of the hub of end disk I4 to a corresponding point of the other end disk I5b (as indicated by the dimension Y in Fig. l0), is smaller, in the assembled relation shown in Fig. l0, than the corresponding center-to-center distance of the rim portions and spacer rings 25 (indicated by the dimension X in Fig. 9).

It may also be noted that the illustrative method of assembly outlined in connection with diagrammatic Figs. 9, 10, in which the nut 20 is drawn up to compress the hub portions into engagement with one another, differs slightly from the shrink-fitting method of assembly described previously. In an actual arrangement where the disks are successively heatedfpressed into position, and permitted to shrink tight to the shaft i3, the webs will progressively assume their nal dished condition as additional disks are added. On the other hand, if the disks are not shrunk to the shaft I3, then the simplified method ofassembly described in connection with Figs. 9, 10 might be used. It will also be observed that with the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 19, 10, the suitably dimensioned hub spacers I1, help to determine the amount of dish which will be forced into each wheel in the finally assembled condition. Y

'From Fig. 10 it will be obvious how the tendency of the disk webs to return to an exactly radial plane under the influence of high centrifugal forces (at speeds of the orderV of 10,000 R. P. M.) will increase the axial compression between adjacent rim portions and the edge surfaces of the rim spacers 25. Thus the friction between the rim portions, and therefore the torque transmitting capacity between disks, is increased as speed and centrifugal force increases.

It may be noted further that the wheel hub portions need not bev forced into direct engagementV with each other, as is illustrated in the `parent application, Serial No. 541,565, in which `case the amount of dish put into each wheel is determined by the final position of nut and 'the geometrical shape and physical properties of the disks.

' Tofurther increase the torque transmitting l capacity of the joints between adjacent disks, the

mating surfaces of the wheel shoulders and spacers may be covered sparsely with emery dust or similar abrasive material before they are shrunk together, as shown at 23a in Fig. 8. With this arrangement, the emery dust particles rmly embed themselves in both faces, thus greatly increasing the friction. The emery dust may be advantageously appliedto vthe surfaces by dispersing the particles in some very thin carrier such as a suitable lacquer, which is then painted on the surfaces. Y

With this arrangement, the drive is primarily from the shaft, through the keyed hub of the last stage wheel I4, to the rim of the wheel I4, and thence through the rims of the successive wheels. Thus there is provided a compressor rotor construction which is comparatively easy to assemble and dismantle for servicing and which avoids the need for keyways in the shaft and key means for positively fixing all the wheels to the shaft. This results in a rotor which can be built at relatively low cost and upon which wheels can be replaced with comparative ease. It is also found that the pre-stressing of the disks obtained with the above-described dished arrangement effects a very material improvement in the stiffness of the rotor, making it compare favorably to a drum type rotor in its critical speed characteristics. Thus my arrangement obtains a very important advantage of the drum type rotor while retaining .the superior` strength andv ease of manufacture of the disk type rotor.

Carried by compressor stator casing I and attached to it in any suitable way are circumferential rows of stationary compressor blades 29. Compressor casing I is provided with two sets of stationary blades 68 and 69 which serve to straighten out the air flow and direct the air in an even smooth stream to the transition passages 51. l

In each of the high pressure stage disks I5 are a plurality of circumferentially spaced balancing or breather holes I5c for preventing accumulated gas pressure between adjacent disks from deflecting the rather thin web portions axially.

For balancing the axial thrust on the rotor caused by the aerodynamic forces on the blades 22, a conduit 31a extracts air under pressure from a manifoldv31b anddelivers it'to the chamberv 31, described more ,particularly hereinafter.A

The ends of the streamlined struts 4 are formed integral with and are carried by outer and inner walls and 30a, outer wall 30 having a rear flangebolted to the forward compressor stator casing flange as indicated at 30h. Carried by inner wall 30a is a radially inwardly extending end wall 3| whichat its ifnner portion carries an axially projecting sleeve 32 which forms a housing and support for a roller bearing 33, in which the forward end of shaft I3 is carried. Sleeve 32 is connected to walls 30a and 3I and is reinforced by a plurality of spaced radially extending .webs 34. The opening mend wall 3| through which shaft I3 projects is sealed by a suitable labyrinth packing member 35. At itsr periphery the first stage wheel I5b is sealed withlrespect to wall30a by a labyrinth type packing 36. This serves to define between the i'lrst stage wheel I5b and casing end Wall 3I a sealedxbalancing chamber 31. At 38 is a labyrinth member cooperating with a ring 38a to form a double labyrinth oil seal for the forward bearing housing..

Members 4, 30, 30a, 3l, 32, 34 together comprise the forward frame. Y

Attached to the front edge of wall 30a by a ring A of bolts 39 is an accessory casing assembly incasing. The common multiple driving pinionv 43 for the gearing is carried by a sleeve 44 mounted in suitable ball bearings 45, 45a. Sleeve 44 is con- Y nected to shaft I3 by a toothed or splined coupling 46. A suitable starting motor (not shown) may be mounted onthe front casing wall 42 with a pinion engaging the large diameter portion 43a of the multiple pinion 43. A lubricating oil cooler I3I may be secured to the compressor stator casing as shown in Fig. l.

- A forward air guide in the form of an annular wall 49 is bolted to wall 30 at flange 50, and encloses an air inlet screen 21, comprising concentric sectionalarcuate rings 21a supported lon a plurality of spaced radial ribs 21h between the respective fairings 4a. The sectional air inlet screens 21 are held to the forward air guide 49 by quick detachable fasteners`21c, and can be readily removed for cleaning, inspection, or other servicing. At its discharge end, compressor casing I is provided with a flange 55 to which is bolted a unitary casing structure or mid-frame indicated generally at 5I and having walls including a forward portion defining an annular air discharge passage 56 from which lead transition passages 51 for conveying air from the compressor to the several combustion chambers. The forward portion of the walls which define passage 56 are indicated at58 and 59 in Fig. y2, being inner and outer annular walls fixed in spaced relation by the circumferentially spaced radially extending walls 60, which are the fside walls of the transition passages 51. These walls Bllconvergeto a vertex indicatedby the line 60a in Fig. 2, there being, of course, one such vertex between each pairof adjacent transition passages. Each passage v51 is formed by concentric walls 5I, Bla

escasas which at their inlet end dene an arcuate opening and which'form the admission end converge in a circumferential direction and diverge in a radial direction and terminate at a circular ange 6|b. In other words, the walls 66, 6|, GIa are shaped to provide transition passages 51, which are elongated in a circumferential direction at their inlet ends and circular at their discharge ends. The lower half of Fig. 2shows in elevation the walls Bla and indicates the manner in which they converge toward the ange SIb.

Formed integral with inner Wall 58 is an inwardly extending end wall 64 in which is carried a mid-bearing 65 for supporting the rear end portion of compressor shaft I3. End wall 64 and. walls 6| are reinforced by an axially extending wall 66 connected to a rear end wall 82. Thus there is provided an integrali mid-frame casing comprising end walls B4, 32 the walls which form air passages 56 and 51, and wall 66, which casing is very rigid and is attached to the compressor stator casing I as a unit, thus providing a strong rigid integral ring structure at the dischargeend of the longitudinally split compressor casing'. At the juncture of walls 6B, 82 is an attachment ange 82a., the purpose of which will be seenI hereinafter.

Circumferentially spaced around the midl:frame casing 5| are a plurality of pads (i1vtoV It is convenient to support the Weight of the powerplant from this mid-frame casing, with a third point of support provided by an attachment fitting connected to a pad such as that indicated at 52 at the forward end of the compressor casing, which pad may be conveniently may be extracted from this manifold by suitable conduits (not shown) for such various purposes as turbine wheel cooling, cabin pressurizing, etc.

The Wall 82 extends radially outward between and is connected to the transition section side walls, as may be seen in elevation in Fig, and

in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Thus wall 82 serves to stiffen the cast transition passage walls. At the outer circumference of wall 82, is an integral axiallyV extending cylindrical wall portion 82h, l also shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

A third radially extending wall 82e terminates in a circumferential flange 82d, to which suitable fireyproof baffles or shrouds may be attached when the powerplant is installed in a nacelle. It will be seen that the walls 82, 82h, 82e together define a continuous firewall separating the hot turbine, and combustor sections from the comparatively cooler compressor section.

Coaxial with the circular discharge opening of each transition passage is a suitable fuel spray nozzle I I0, which may be supported by fuel conduits ||3 passing through and secured in a closure plate 6|c foran opening formed in the outer Wall Sla. This opening is proportioned so that the nozzle assembly HU, H3 can be readily removed simply by removing the threaded fastenings which secure plate 6|c to wall 6 la.

Referring further to Fig. 2, the turbine bucketwheel 10 having a circumferential row of buckets 1I is carried on the end of a relatively long, hollow quill'shaft 12. Adjacent the turbine wheel the shaft is supported in an aft bearing 13 the outer race of which is supported in an annular ring 14. The turbine wheel is thus overhung on the end of the shaft. The other end of shaft 12 is connected to shaft i3 (Fig. l) and is thus supported in the mid-bearing 65. To this end, the hub of compressor wheel I4 is provided with an outer axially extending sleeve 15 on the outside of which the inner race of mid-bearing isi secured by a nut 1S and spacer 16a, and the inside of which is provided with splines V11 engaging mating splines on the end of shaft 12. It will be seen that the end of the bore in shaft 12 telescopes freely "over the outer surfacev of the inner sleeve nutZ. Turbine wheel 19 and shaft 12 are secured in proper position axially by a tension member in the form of a long bolt 18 which at one end thre'adsinto sleeve nut 20 and at the other end receives a nut i9 engaging the outer surface of the wheel hub portion 16a. On the bolt 'i8 area number of axially spaced rings 8f3, which may be attached to the rod by being shrunk thereon, and serve to maintain boltlS exactly concentric with shaft 12.

Turbine shaft 12 is surrounded by and enclosed in an aft frame structure comprising an aft framecylinder 8| which at its forward end has an attachment flange bolted to ring 82a and at its rear end is connected to ring 14. In order to provide the necessary rigidity, the aft-frame cylinder BI may be provided with a plurality of external longitudinally extending ribs, as disclosed in the above-mentioned application, Serial No. 541,565. However, in the present instance, this stiffening function is performed by circumferen- 'tially spaced axially extending sheet metal channels shown at Sla in Figs. 1 and 3. These channel members are Welded to the inner surface of the cylinder 8| and define therewith closed passages, one or more of which may be used as a cooling and sealing air conduit communicating with a conduit |54, as shown in Fig. 2. By reason of these stiifening arrangements, the aft frame cylinder 8l is made sufficiently strong and rigid that the turbine and combustion section is completely supported from the mid-frame casing 5I by a ring of bolts 65 engaging the attachment flange 82a. It will be apparent from the drawings that this rigid aft-frame cylinder'assembly serves to support the aft-bearing ring 14' from the mid-frame casing 5 I. v

Secured to bearing support ring 1li is a turbine nozzle diaphragm support wall 81 reinforced' by a conical wall 88 which at its rear end is secured to the circumference of wall 81 andat its'forward end is welded to cylinder 8|. Walls-81 and 88 form a support ange for the turbine nozzle diaphragm 89. Secured to wall 88 are circumferentially spaced radially projecting axially-extending ribs 83a, 83h which are located between each pair of adjacent combustors. These ribs serve to stiffen the nozzle diaphragm support walls and the combustor support plate |29, described hereinafter. 4

The turbine nozzle diaphragm assembly- 89 comprises circumferentially spaced nozzle partitions 90 shaped to denne between them nozzles of the desired contour for directing hot gases from the combustors to the turbinel Wheel. At their 9 radially outer ends nozzle partitions 90 are supported in a ring 9|. vAs may be seen in Fig. 2, the outer nozzle diaphragm wall 9| is provided with circumferential flanges 91a, 9|b at either end thereof and forms part of the exterior turbine casing structure. Secured to flange 9|b is a cooperating flange member 93 to which is welded the outer wall 8 of the exhaust cone. Supported between the flanges 9|b, 93 as by means of a rabbet fit, is a stationary Shroud ring 92 for the shroudless or open-ended turbine buckets 1|; This shroud is maintained concentric with the bucket-wheel by means of the above-mentioned rabbet fit with the nozzle ring 9|-, so as to maintain desirable close clearances with the open-ended buckets. Such a shroud arrangement is described more completely in United States Patent 2,427,244, issued September 9, 1947 on an application of Donald F. Warner, led March'l, 1944 and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. At their radially inner ends the nozzle partitions are supported on an inner ring 94 secured to an annular wall 95 the inner periphery of which is secured to wall 81 by bolts 95a.

Turbine shaft 12 is relatively long; therefore to dampen any vibrations which tend to be set up in it, there is provided between bearings 65,

combustor attachment flanges |21.`

|29. Plate |29 extends entirely around the aft frame structureland is welded at itsinner cir' cumference to aft frame cylinder 8|. Circumferentially spaced around the annular plate |29 are a plurality of openings surrounded by the At its periphery, plate |29 forms va bolting flange secured at |30 to the forward flange of the aft frame casing 6.

Thus it will be seen that the Iaft frame cylinder 8|, nozzle diaphragm support walls 31, 88, stiffening ribs 83a, 83h, land the support plate |29'with theV combustor attachment flanges |21 13 a vibration damping means comprising a roller bearing the inner race 96 of which is locked on shaft 12 by any suitable means, the outer race being carried in an annular retainer 91. Integral with holder 91 is a radially extending friction plate 98, the friction face of which engages a friction face on an annular plate 99 supported in cylinder 8| The friction surfaces are held in engagement by a plurality of spaced compression springs |00. This damper bearing serves to hold shaft; 12 concentric with cylinder 8| when the combustion and turbine section of the powerplant is disconnected from the compressor section, as well as to dampen transverse vibrations of the shaft as described above. The combustors 5 are located between the discharge end of the midframe casing and the inlet end of the turbine. They are arranged in circumferentially spaced relation around aft frame cylinder 8|, and, as Will be seen from the drawings, are located substantially within the overall diameter of aftframe casing 6. In the present instance, eight combustion chambers are shown, but obviously any other suitable member could be used.

Referring now to Fig. 2, each combustor comprises an outer casing |05 and lan inner liner |06, which are held in spaced relation to each other by suitable spacing clips (not shown) placed circumferentially around the periphery of the inner liner |06 so as to provide an annular air space |08. The forward end of inner liner |06 is closed by an end dome |09 having a central opening through which projects the end of the fuel nozzle ||0. Outher :combustor casing |05 is attached to the discharge end of transition sec--- tion 6| by a suitable split ring or clamp band |14, which maybe of any suitable type, for ine stancethat shown in Patent No. 2,424,436, issued July/22, .1947, on an application `of Wilbur D. Crater, led April.13,.1945, and yassigned to the same assignee as the present application. At the discharge end, combustor casing |05 is provided with a flange |24 which is secured by a clamp bandl'2l6 to acooperating flange |25 formed at the'endV of `a circular combustor support flange 12k-#Support flange |21 is welded to, or formed integral withanannular combustor supportplate In order to permit the necessary differential thermal expansion between the comparatively hot combustor casing and the comparatively' cooler aft frame structure, a suitable flexible joint must be provided at one end of the outer casing |05. In the present case, this flexible arrangement is indicated at the discharge end of the combustor (Figs. 2 and 5) :and comprises a separate end ring portion |05a secured to the attachment flange |24 and telescopically received in the open end of the casing |05. A suitable convoluted flexible bellows |9 has one end welded to the adjacent edge of ring |05a and the other end secured to an intermediate portion of a shield Y member I8, lwhich is in turn welded to the outer casing |65 at |20 and has an opposite cylindrical end portion l8a. This shield is arranged to protect the bellows ||9 from direct contact `with the hot air flowing through the space |08, also serving as a radiation shield reducing the transfer of heat vfrom the hot inner liner |06 to the ilexible bellows, and defines a smoothsurfaced pas-sage for the flow of air around the discharge With this arrangement it will be seen that the respective combustor yattachment flanges 6|b and |25are fixed in space, while the outercombustor casing |05 is free to expand and contract by reason of its telescopic connection to the casing end ring |05a, this sliding joint being positively sealed by the flexible bellows ||9.

The rear end of inner liner |06 projects inside ange |21 and is held in spaced relation thereto by a plurality of circumferentlally spaced irlim-A ples |3| formed in the adjacent end of a transition piece |32 which conveys hot gases from the combustor to the nozzle diaphragm. Of course there is a transition piece |32 for each combustor. At their admission ends these are round and located within the support flanges |21. From the admission end their walls diverge in a circumferential direction and. converge in a radial di-` rection to an extent such that their discharge ends together form a substantially continuous annular discharge passage for supplying hot gases to the nozzle ring. This is shown best in Fig. 4. At their discharge ends theyY have a 11 |35 formed in a circumierentially extending flange secured t inner nozzle ring 94.

In inner liner |06 are suitably arranged openings |34 for flow ofair from the annular supply space |08 to the interior of liner |06. At |36 is a 'suitable ignition plug for initiating combustion. Air 'for cooling the end dome l 89 and inner liner |06 is 'admitted through a plurality of cooling air loujve'rs |3411, |0911. For simplicity, only a few ofthe openings |34, |34a are'shown in the drawings.' This combustor arrangement will be recognized asv'one o the so-'called Nerad type combilrstors covered by an application, Serial No. 750,015, filed May'23, 1947, as a continuation-inpart of Serial No. 501,106, led September 3, 1943, now abandoned, both applications being assigned to the' same assignee as the present application. Furtherdetails of the construction and method of operation of this combustor are not necessary to understanding. the present invention.

For cooling the turbine parts air is taken through the conduit |54. communicating with one of the channel members. Sla and from there ilows as indicated bythe arrows in Fig. 2, so, as to cool the inlet side of. the turbine wheel 1.0. Additional air extracted from a suitable stage of the compressor is supplied to the discharge side ofl the turbine wheel by. a conduit |55, which communicates with conduit |5541 extending across the hot gas discharge. passage and surrounded by a stream-lined. shield |14.. 'Ihe inner cone maybe supported by` a plurality of suitable tubular struts |13. which may.. also beA enclosed in shield |14. For cooling the downstream side. of

the bucketfwheel 1.0-, cooling air from conduit |55a news into. a chamber. formed by the, sheet metal walls. L55, |51, thenceinto the circumferential. space. |58. defined between the plates lf Ythrough arcuate slots asindicated at |59,

Because not material to an understanding Qi the present. invention, the. piping for supplying f-.uel oil to the nozzle, |10 and lubricating oil to the respective bearings is not showne It Will be. obviousv to. thoseskilled. in, the. art that many fuel supply. systems and-lubricating arrangements maybeemployed.

The. method of. operation. of this. ppwerplant is described in detail, in my. abovevmentioned ap,- plication Serial No. 541,565. and` need neil-be YE: peated here.

4The. present invention provides, a4 novelq axial flow, turbo-machine4 rotor arrangement particu;- larly suitedV for. axialflow. compressors in, power,- plants of the. typedescribed..Whheombines in av desirable` manner the Y strength, characteristics ofthe so-calledA disk type rotor, with the good critical` speed characteristics of. the, drum type rotor. At the same time my improved rotorconf struction is comparatively. easyV to. fabricate and disassemble for cleaning, replacement of. damaged buckets, etc. It will-be appreciated that this rotor construction is applicable. to multiestage turbo-machines generally, turbines. as Well. as

compressors.

While I have described a particular form of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many of the.. mechanical details may be altered in variousways, and I desire to cover by the appended claims all s uch modications as. fall y within theA true, spiritl and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure Letters Patent of the United States, is.:

1. A rotor for a multi-:stage axial flow turbomachine having a casing and axially spaced beare ings for supporting the rotor, said rotor comprisfv4 ing a shaft with a circumferential Shoulder ad* jacent one end and a reduced diameter threaded portion at the other end, a plurality of coaxial axially spaced disk members each having a4 central bore through which the shaft passes and a rim portion carrying a plurality of circumierenf tially spaced blades, the. hub portion of thel disk at one end of the rotor engaging said shoulder on the shaft and the disk at the. opposite. end having associated therewith key means for posi. tively transmitting torque from the. shaft to said last-mentioned disk, a nut member threadedly received on the end of-V the compressor shaftv and 'engaging the hub portion of said last end disk,

and a plurality of spacer rings located between the rim portions of the respective disks, said spacers dening a rabbet fit with adjacent. edges of the compressor disk rims, the aggregate. axiallength of said compressor disk rim portions and spacers measured center-fto-center between the end disks being greater than the corresponding axial dimensions of the hub portions of the disks,

`whereby with the. nut member tightened the.. web.

portions of at least some ot the disks are de. iiected from a radial plane soA that theidisk rims and spacers are forcedv axially into. tight engage. ment with each other. and. centrifugal force tends to increase the friction of the driving connections, through the tendencyT of the disk webs to` move? into an exactly radial plane at high speeds.

2. A rotor fora multi-stage. axial ow turbo.- machine having a casing and axially spaced beai. ings for supporting the rotor, said rotor comprisA ing a shaft with a circumferential shoulder acl-- jacent one end and a reduced diameterthreaded portion at the other end, a plurality of coaxial axiallyV spaced disk members each having a cen-A tral bore through which the shaft passesl and4 a rim portion carrying a plurality ofA circumferentially spaced blades, the disk at one end: oi the rotor engaging said shoulder ofv the-shaft and the` disk at the opposite end# beingI provided with key means for transmitting torque from the. shaft to said last-mentioned' disk; a nut memberthread'- edly received' on the endof the compressoigshaft and engaging the hub portion ot: said last-menn tioned end disk, a plurality of spacerrings located between the rirnportions ot therespective disks, said-spacers defining a rabbet t. with adjacent edges ofthe compressor disk rims, apluralityof hub spacer members locatedbetween the respective disk-hub portions, the aggregate axialflength of said compressor disk rim. portions and rim spacers measured center-to-.ce'nter` between .the end disks being greater than. the corresponding axial dimensions ofV saidhub and hub.. spacer members, wherebyv with, the. nutv member.y tight.- ened` theV web portions'ofa at least some of-the disks are-deflected fromaaradial plane so.,that, the disk rims and spacers are forcedaxiallycintotight engagement. with each, other. and.Y centrifugal force tendsI to increase the. friction ofithedriv; ing connection throughlthe tendency of; the, disk webs tomove intoanexactly. radialtplane; airhigh speeds.

3. In. a high-speed rotorhaving ashaftwilli aL plurality of; axially spaced.- wheels.` mougteden the,shatt witlrtheir rims space drelation to eacn other. the .cembinaticeioig@seater ring.. 19T cated between a pair of adjacent rim portions and having at either side thereof an annular outwardly facing surface frictionally engaging a coperating inwardly facing annular surface of the adjacent rim portions, a plurality of axially extending dowel vpins connecting one side of the ring to one adjacent wheel rim, the other side of the ring defining an inwardly facing circumferential surface forming with the other adjacent disk rim a circumferential groove opening in an axial direction toward the rst mentioned wheel, and an annular calking strip wedged into said groove Vto increase the frictional contact between the ring and said other rim.

4. A rotor for a turbo-machine comprising a shaft with rst abutment means adjacent one end thereof, a plurality of axially spaced disk members each having a hub portion dening a central bore through which the shaft passes and a radially extending web with a rim portion, there being no connecting member between the web portions, the hub of the disk at one end of the rotor engaging the first abutment, second abutment means associated with the other end of the shaft and engaging the hub portion of the adjacent end disk at a radius immediately adjacent the shaft, and a plurality of spacer rings located between the rim' portions of the respective disks, each of said spacers having circumferential edge portions dening a rabbet it with the adjacent rims, the aggregate axial length of said rim portions and spacers measured centerto-center between the end disks being greater than the corresponding axial dimension of the hub portions of the disks, whereby in the assembled position of said rst and second abutments the center-to-center dimension between the end disk hub portions is less than the corresponding dimension of the rims so that the webs of at least certain of the disks are deilected from a radial plane to a dished conguration and the rims are pre-stressed into tight axial engagement with each other, whereby centrifugal force acting on the dished disks at high speeds produces a tendency of said disks to return to an exactly radial plane and thereby increases the friction between the disk rims and spacers.

5. A turbo-machine rotor comprising a shaft carrying a plurality of essentially radial disks having circumferential rim portions, comparatively thin web portions, and axially spaced hub portions each dening a bore through which the shaft passes, spacer ring members located between the rim portions of the respective pairs of disks, there being no connecting members between the web portions of adjacent disks and a substantial portion of the torque transmission between disks being through frictional contact between the edges of said rim portions and spacers, rst and second axially spaced abutment means associated with the shaft and engaging the outer surfaces of the hub portions of the extreme end disks at a radius immediately adjacent the shaft, the center-to-center distance between the end disk hub portions being less than the corresponding dimension of the rim portions, with which relation at least one of said end disks assumes a somewhat dished configuration with its hub portion displaced from the normal centerline of the disk axially towards the next adjacent disk hub portion and its web portion deviating from a true radial plane whereby under the action of centrifugal force at high speed said dished I disk tends to deflect into the radial plane to bring the wheel rims and spacer rings into tighter frictional engagement for improved torque transmitting capacity.

ALAN HOWARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,213,940 Jendrassik Sept.r3, 1940 2,241,782 Jendrassik May 13, 1941 2,371,706 Planiol Mar. 20, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 402,525 Germany Sept. 20, 1924 

